Fredericton native Greg Harrison has dropped a short but beautiful release under his artist name grej, and the results are an elegant EP that speaks not only to the isolation we are all going through, but to the beauty to be found in these in-between times, as we seem to shift from one world to the next.
Quarantine Variations Volume 1 is made up of ten movements, each one making its own argument for the piece. These works, all recorded in Harrison’s home studio in Toronto during these weeks of isolation, show us an artist stretching his wings and developing what feels like a singular voice.
Greg Harrison has long been a fixture in sound and percussion to those in the know, working with several dance companies on commissioned works, releasing deliberate and expanding recordings on his own and with other artists, and also recording and touring internationally as part of Jeremy Dutcher’s band (Jeremy’s vocals can be heard on one of the tracks).
But Harrison’s work here is much more than the sum of his creative parts. He has constructed a sonic architecture, with forms and structures that feel new, bright and fresh.
The EP opens with “QV1,” soft synths cascading through an urgent electronic rainfall. You can feel the beats filling the soundscape of the empty city around him.
The various pieces each play their part, and because they are short, you find yourself still vibrating with the last movement as the next one opens up in front of you.
“QV3” opens with mechanical drum beats, and then vocals bring questions and calls for information, as we watch our world change before our eyes.
The fourth movement is a special addition, a haunting cover of Radiohead’s “Talk Show Host”. Not an easy thing, to take a shot at Thom Yorke’s lyrics and the band’s riveting and deeply complex structures, and grej is more that fit for the task. His recording is stark but full of light and energy.
Another prize on this album is two live recordings that Greg performed as part of Mear, a musical project started by vocalist and musician Frances Miller. Their two collaborations on this album, “QV8” and “QV 10”, are standouts for their beautiful vocals and interactions. When listening to these, Lux Prima (the collaboration between Danger Mouse and Karen O) is brought to mind. “QV 10” is so full of energy and hope, it shines and brings an emotional momentum to the close.
“QV 5: gives the listener a slightly faster, more frenetic pace, like descending keyboards run through a quickening maze. Comparisons to M83 would not be misplaced. Vocals then become echoes, maybe from a balcony across the park. Harrison uses micro samples of Dutcher’s vocals from a previous recording with powerful beauty, while never eclipsing the song’s structure and form. This one made me move.
Something else that sets Greg apart is his wide-open use of different tools to create sound. He brings sounds and materials from all over, and “QV6” is a shining example of that toolbox. He makes brilliant use of a V-Wave cymbal from Sabian. The opening sounds of softly striking the V-Wave are then augmented by running a bow across the edges to create a haunting harmonic of otherworldly textures. Greg then employed old fashioned music boxes, spinning cranks at high speed to create a strange background sound that brings millions of tiny shards of glass striking tile floors to a rhythm. The combination of sounds and sonic textures is a dense and gratifying listen.
This collection of songs, while short, is a door opening to another world. Harrison’s fingerprints are everywhere, deep and structured beats wrapping around beautifully constructed frameworks of sounds and feelings. Experiencing him on his own, and then creating with others, you become aware not only of the artist before you, but perhaps also the artist to be. Greg Harrison is showing us the future, not just ours but his, and he is going to take us places that will change us and how we listen.